Hi all
Just a bit more background to consider. This message was forwarded onto the
civil spotters yahoo group on 31st December last year from the mil spotters
yahoo group and was sent by one of the British members of the party:
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Allegation: "The group were arrested at Tanagra and warned not to continue".
Fact: The group were not arrested but assisted Police/HAF/Intelligence
officers with their enquiries (after a Greek civilian mistook use of
binoculars for photography). No warning was issued and the group were told
"You have done nothing illegal". The authorities apologised for delaying
the group. Interestingly, the Greek Ambassador's letter in today's Daily
Mail states that the warning was given by a magistrate. This makes it all
the easier to prove false since at no time was any magistrate involved in
the check at Tanagra at all.
Allegation: "They were warned three times and still took photographs".
Fact: At the three HAF Open Days attended by the group, guards at the gate
informed the group that photography was not permitted (it was permitted
last year). As a result, no photographs were taken and cameras remained
secured in camera bags within the vehicles. At no point on the trip did ANY
member of the group take ANY photographs at ANY Greek military installation.
Fact: Photographs were taken at Athens War Museum, Mesolongi (museum),
Vonitsa (scrap metal dealer - chopped up 1952/53 vintage F-84Fs), Hellenikon
(the old Athens civil airport, now superceded by Sparta).
Fact: All photographs (from films confiscated at Tanagra and Kalamata) have
been perused by the authorities and have been assessed as having no security
implications. Photographs no longer form part of the prosecution case, nor
have they since the end of our first week in captivity, despite their being
quoted as the basis of the evidence for "espionage" charges
(also no longer relevant) as recently as last Wednesday on CNN.
Allegation: "The group were intoxicated when apprehended".
Fact: I was frankly totally amazed to read of this allegation which I was
unaware of until my return. The group were apprehended at around 17:00hrs.
No alcohol had been consumed by any member of the group on the day in
question. Indeed, on the three previous nights no one had indulged in any
more than a few social drinks with their evening meal.
Opinion: In my opinion there are only two explanations for this allegation,
one would be an an error in translation ("The group were 'interrogated'
when apprehended"??) whilst the other is a deliberate and malicious attempt
to smear the group.
Allegation: "The group trespassed on Greek military bases".
Fact: No trespass took place whatsoever. The three bases entered by the
group were Araxos, Andravidha and Kalamata at which we were admitted to the
open days upon production of passports. The trespass issue arose only
because the authorities believed that serials at Megara could only have
been obtained by trespassing on the base. Aircraft and helicopters at Megara
can be identified from public roads around the airfield using binoculars
(and indeed several can be read with the naked eye).
Allegation: "When the investigating officers analysed the logbooks kept by
the group, they found those included flight timetables and eavesdropping on
conversations between pilots and Air Force ground controllers".
Fact: The scanner inadvertantly taken by one member of the group was at no
time switched on in Greece. Therefore no conversations were overheard. Even
if they had been, I presume military conversations would have been in Greek,
which even after 37 days none of us speak. The first Greek military aircraft
we saw airborne were seen from the courtroom in Kalamata during our first
appearance. My own log book (which ended at Heathrow on departure)
includes take-off and landing times of those airliners in which I have been
a passenger during the last few months.
Fact: The scanner no longer forms part of the evidence against the group.
An expert witness appeared on our behalf at the second court appearance and
proved to the interrogating magistrate that scanners could be freely bought
over the counter in Greece, were used by numerous Greek radio hobbyists,
and that Greece was party to (though had not yet ratified) an EU law
legalising the use of scanners.
Other relevant facts are:-
This was the third occasion on which Touchdown had visited Greece. Previous
visits in 1998 and 2000 went off without a hitch. Photography was permitted
at most bases in 2000 (the situation being checked and double checked at
each base).
The Hellenic AF had been informed in writing of the group's intention to
visit as many bases as possible during the HAF open days (8th-11th November
2001). Despite this I have seen reference to Touchdown being invited to one
Open Day and unilaterally extending the invite to include the rest. This
allegation is false.
Foreign nationals are (in recent years) permitted to attend these open days
without prior permission. Written authority to visit was sought and obtained
by Touchdown as a 'belt and braces' to prevent any misunderstandings (in
which respect it was obviously unsuccessful). The Hellenic AF was in
possession of names, passport numbers, dates of birth, and occupations of
all members of the group and approval had been given at Brigadier General
level for Touchdown to attend the open days. The group were sensitive to
the post September 11th situation.
The Hellenic AF were contacted by fax and by telephone in the final days
before the trip in the expectation that it would be cancelled. The response
was reassuring and encouraged Touchdown to go ahead as planned. If there
was a problem due to increased security, these communications would have
been the ideal opportunity to close the trip down to the satisfaction of all
concerned (both the Greeks and the group).
The group were detained "for taking photographs" whilst attempting to leave
Kalamata base following their visit to the open day. As pointed out above,
no photographs were taken by any of the group at any Greek military base at
any time during the trip.
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David/MAN